Because She's The Best
by myshipperheart17
Summary: AU Captain Swan - Lone wolf Emma is not a bit pleased when her usually understanding bosses pair her up with newcomer Killian Jones on her latest case. My first AU fic, so we'll see how this goes! I don't own these amazing characters, the Once Upon A Time team do - I just adore them.
_So I just found this AU Captain Swan chapter I wrote AGES ago and never published - thought I might as well put it up! The countdown to the end of season 5 is on and I don't know if I can cope with the feels, so really, I'm up for reading and writing anything CS related right now! It's the first AU piece I've ever done, so thoughts and opinions are very welcome!_

* * *

"Are you kidding me?"

Her blood was boiling. The only reason she had taken this job in the first place was because she was assured that she could work alone. Every other department or agency she had approached paired their employees off, claiming that two heads were, irrefutably, better than one. But Grayson and Erica were different. They had smiled knowingly at each other during her interview, nodding understandingly when she explained that she had always worked alone, and always got the results her employers were looking for. They told her they got it. And for five months, they had.

But this morning Grayson had called her into his office, just before she had logged on to her computer to read up on her next assignment. She felt good, confident after tracking down a particularly elusive embezzler last week. Honestly? She thought he'd called her in there to offer her a raise…

Instead, he had welcomed her into the room and ushered her into one of the empty chairs beside his desk, while Erica paced in front of the window, tapping her pen nervously against the palm of her hand.

And then she'd noticed that she wasn't the only person they had brought into the office. Standing in the corner of the room was a man she'd never seen before. Tall, dark hair and stubble, piercingly blue eyes. She made a mental note to pay closer attention later, once she found out what exactly was causing her boss to wear a hole in the carpet.

"Emma," Grayson said, "We'd like to introduce you to Killian Jones. He's our newest employee."

She'd glanced back at him and offered a polite smile, trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered ever so slightly when he returned it with a grin that spread across his whole face, before nervously running his hand through his hair and walking towards her chair.

After her recent string of dating disasters, she most certainly didn't need to add "dating a co-worker" to her list of mistakes. So, as undeniably attractive as he was, she tried to push all thoughts of him being anything but someone she would pass in the hallway occasionally out of her mind.

"Hi," she'd said, standing to walk and meet him halfway, "I'm Emma… Emma Swan. Welcome to the team."

He reached his hand out and she swallowed thickly as she took it, the slightly rough feel of his hand against hers making her attempts to ignore how attractive he was ever more impossible.

And then her boss threw a nice cold bucket of ice water over her in the form of his next sentence.

"Killian will be your partner on the Collins case. You two will be working together."

* * *

"I'm sorry… he's what?"

Grayson and Erica looked at each other and hesitated, their expressions suggesting that they had expected exactly this from their fiery blonde protege.

"Are you kidding me?!"

"Emma, we know you like to work alone, but this case… it's different…" Erica began, her voice calm and even despite the fact her gestures indicated how anxious she was.

Emma felt her chest tighten, and her arms cross, her defense mechanisms all jumping into action, right on cue.

"Different how?"

Grayson sighed, pulling a folder off the table and handing it to her.

"It's complicated," he said, "Risky."

"And the Evans case wasn't?" she bit back, "That's the toughest case you've had in years and I managed just fine on my own. Did I not?"

She hated that her voice was shaking, the wobble betraying her and showing the tiniest glimmer of her insecurity. This job was all she knew, it was what she was good at - and the idea that they didn't think she was as capable as she knew she was hurt.

"Oh Emma," Erica said, gently touching her hand to Emma's shoulder, and wincing as Emma instinctively jerked back, "Of course you did. You know how pleased we've been with your work. This is not about you."

"Well," Grayson interrupted, "In a way, it is… but not in the way you think."

Emma found herself sitting back in her chair, avoiding eye contact and crossing her arms and legs, years of habit showing as she physically closed herself off.

Having remained silent so far, Killian suddenly spoke, his smooth British accent taking her by surprise.

"Sorry to interrupt, but should I go? It looks like you three need to talk and I don't want to be in the way."

"Nonsense," Grayson replied, "You should hear this."

He hesitated, remaining positioned between the chairs and the door.

"Emma…" he said, "It's your call?"

His voice was soft, and had a strangely soothing effect on her. She forced herself to glance up at him, taking in his very genuine expression. The fact that he might not be as dislikable as she wanted him to be irritated her all over again. She took a breath and looked back at the floor before replying.

"Fine by me."

"Take a seat, Killian," Erica motioned to the chair beside Emma, smiling encouragingly.

Erica Wells was an understated sort of a woman. She was tiny, standing at just 5ft1, with short, softly curling greyish hair and a warm smile. She spoke in a very polite voice, and instantly put anyone in her presence at ease. That was probably what made her so good at what she did - tracking people down. She had an unthreatening manner, and it made people relax, and tell her things they probably shouldn't. Something which had happened to Emma herself on more than one occasion. This woman had known her just a few short months, yet she knew a lot more about Emma's lonely childhood than almost anyone else.

Her husband was a salt of the earth sort of man. No nonsense, but kind and compassionate. He was invested in justice, something that brought him and Erica together all those years before. They were each other's second spouse. Grayson's first wife, Laura, passed away at just thirty, while Erica's philandering husband Ralph disappeared to some island somewhere with his twenty one year old secretary, leaving her with two young children and bills she struggled to pay on her own. That's when she'd taken the leap and applied for a job at a newly opened detective agency in town. Within weeks her new boss realised she was wasted behind the reception desk - she had a keen eye, excellent people skills and a quietly determined nature that made her the perfect candidate for the position of his assistant. A few months later, she was handling her own cases, and the workload got to be so much that they had to hire another employee. The job went to Grayson, and the rest, as they say, is history. Thirty years later, the pair still ran the entire agency.

"This man… Gregory Collins. He's known for having a nasty temper."

Emma raised an eyebrow.

"And you don't think I could kick his ass?"

Killian, who was now sitting in the chair beside her, stifled a laugh. She turned slowly to face him.

"Something funny?"

She stared him down, but he met her eye confidently, unnerving her by not looking away when she expected him to.

"Not at all," he said, "In fact, I have no doubt that you could, as you so delicately put it, kick his ass. And probably mine too, if I'm not careful."

His voice was deliberately calm, but she couldn't help but note a cheeky glint in his eye. In other circumstances, this would have been a flirtation she would definitely have engaged in. Right now, however, she had bigger things to worry about.

"It's not a question of whether or not you could handle him, Emma," Erica said, "But we know he has a particular vendetta against… how can I put this in a way that won't have you yelling at me… he hates…"

"Beautiful women?" Killian interjected.

Grayson sighed and nodded, as Emma felt the rage begin to build again, bubbling up from her stomach.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm sorry Emma, but it's true. We've been warned by the clients that he has a history of forming obsessions with pretty girls, and being… vocal, shall we say, in his dislike of them." Grayson replied.

"This is such bullshit - I'm good at my job. Scratch that, I'm great at my job. I won't let some misogynistic asshole make me tiptoe around him like some princess with a body guard."

"Emma, as frustrating as this is, we really are just looking out for your safety." said Erica.

"Then why give me this case at all?! Why put me on it if you're so worried about me?"

Grayson walked around to perch on the desk in front of her. He let her words hang in the air for a moment, tension enveloping the room before he eventually spoke again.

"Because… you're the best."

* * *

Almost an hour later, Emma and Killian left the room. They had been fully briefed on the case, and though it pained her to admit it, it sounded like it could be the most interesting one she'd worked on so far. Unfortunately, it would take them interstate, which meant she was going home to pack for a road trip with her new partner.

They walked in awkward silence along the long corridor towards the reception area. Part of her felt bad for being so obviously against working with him, while the other was still furious with her bosses for going back on their word. They had promised her she would work alone, and now they were forcing a partnership on her that they knew she didn't want. She supposed she could have quit, but financially that wouldn't have made sense. And honestly? She loved what she did. She just had to ride it out - they suspected Collins hadn't got far, so realistically they could have this wrapped up in a couple of weeks.

The dim lights flickered in the corridor, and it was already dark outside. Emma pulled her scarf up closer around her neck, trying to block out the winter chill, which seemed to have penetrated the building and snuck under her coat.

"So…"

His voice broke the awkward silence, and she slowed to a halt when she realised he'd stopped walking, and was leaning against the window sill.

"I'm sorry about all this… had I known you were so keen to fly solo I would have rejected their offer."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and she couldn't help but take the opportunity to take in his full appearance. He was dressed pretty much all in black - black jeans and boots and a black leather jacket, an odd assortment of chains hanging around his neck.

"It's not your fault," she found herself saying, taking an uncertain step back towards him, "You're just doing your job."

"And apparently making yours more difficult in the process…"

His accent was smooth but as he whispered - something about the empty corridor leant itself to lowered voices - his voice had a slight gravel to it.

"I just… I'm not used to being part of a team," she said, lowering her voice to match his, "I work alone. It's always been that way."

He fixed her with his gaze, his eyes almost unnaturally blue.

"Always?"

It should have been a simple question, but the way he looked at her as he asked it sent a shiver through her. It was like he was trying to read her. This was why she avoided team work. Heart to hearts were far from her thing.

"Yeah," she replied, breaking eye contact and turning to lean against the window sill beside his, gazing out into the dark, "You?"

He moved a little closer to her and the closing distance had the smell of him distracting her from her mission to ignore him. Intoxicatingly clean, mixed with the distinctive leather of his jacket.

"Not always. But lately… aye."

Something in his tone told her not to ask for more details, but he'd certainly planted a seed of intrigue in her mind. She let silence wash over them once again, before clearing her throat and stepping away from the window, once again wrapping her arms around herself.

"I should go. I need to pack."

He nodded, a slight smile crossing his lips before he scratched behind his ear, a nervous habit she'd already noticed him performing on a couple of occasions.

"Shall I accompany you to make sure you don't run off without me?" he asked, the hint of flirtation from earlier in the day working its way back into his tone.

She felt an involuntary smile tug at her own lips, and she rolled her eyes.

"Unfortunately, I think I'll lose my job if I do…" she retorted.

She expected a sarcastic reply, but instead was surprised to see a hint of disappointment flicker across his face.

"But, since apparently you've already packed…?" she continued, gesturing towards the oversized rucksack slung over his shoulder, "Maybe you should wait in the car. Y'know, just to be safe - I can't promise instinct won't take over."

He grinned, seemingly satisfied that his banter was going to be appreciated.

"Well, if it does, rest assured I'll find you. Can't have you fired now, can we Swan?"

He walked past her, glancing at her over his shoulder as he continued down the hall, quirking his eyebrow at her.

"Trust me, if anyone is going to lose their job on this case, for abandoning ship or… otherwise," she replied, deliberately pausing over the word and walking quickly to catch up with him, "It'll be you, Jones."

By now they were at the front door, and he rushed ahead to open it for her, his gentlemanly side rearing its head as she walked out past him.

"Is that so," he asked, as they stepped out into the icy cold evening air, "And what makes you so sure?"

Her car was parked right outside and she walked towards it, clicking the key to unlock the door and turning to lean against the side of the sleek, inconspicuous black vehicle she had so reluctantly traded her yellow bug in for.

"Because," she replied, raising an eyebrow to rival his, "I'm the best."

* * *

 **Reviews are very welcome :)**


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